


Logic Dictates

by TakingOverMidnight3482



Series: Julie and the Phantoms One-Shots: Ghostly Mishaps [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Ghost Reveal, Is that a tag??, Ray is a good dad, Reggie is the embodiment of sunshine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26481139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakingOverMidnight3482/pseuds/TakingOverMidnight3482
Summary: Logic dictates that the Earth is round, that global warming is real, and that ghosts don't exist.So why do Ray's kitchen utensils keep moving by themselves?~~A moment of clarity with Ray the morning after The Orpheum performance. He's not as dumb as his daughter thinks.
Relationships: Ray Molina & Julie Molina, Ray Molina & Reggie
Series: Julie and the Phantoms One-Shots: Ghostly Mishaps [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925116
Comments: 54
Kudos: 1466





	Logic Dictates

**Author's Note:**

> Technically set after my previous one-shot, but you don't TECHNICALLY have to read it to understand this. Just know that Carlos is aware of the guys existence. 
> 
> Listen, Ray is a great dad, and Reggie clearly wants a father figure, so obviously I want him to be aware that the guys exist. Plus, he was also a teenager in the 90s, if Bobby's age is an indicator, so it only makes sense. Hence this.

Ray Molina was many things – a father, a photographer, a brother, a husband, and a pretty good chef, if he did say so himself.

What he was not was stupid.

Maybe he wasn’t good at tech like his kids. And maybe he’d been a little naive in the beginning of Julie’s band. Maybe he was just incredibly relieved to see his daughter finally happy again, finally singing again. Finally connecting to her mom again in a way that Ray could only hope to.

But he’d also been a teenager in the 90s. 16, to be exact.

And though he’d never admit it, he definitely had a rock phase that resulted in some unfortunate clothing choices and also heavy eyeliner. His sister was the only one who remembered it, and she lorded the photos over him with a cheeky grin whenever he tried to ignore her for too long.

He remembered the headlines.

He’d never really listened to Sunset Curve – he was more of a solo artist kind of person. But he’d heard some of their songs, because his friends were into them, and he could admit that they were impressive.

So when he caught Julie singing on stage with boys who sounded…almost identical to the band, he let it slide. Assumed the guys just were heavily influenced by the sound of the deceased band members.

When he threw the party at his own home, though, he got a closer look. Saw how similar they looked, not that he’d ever really seen them beyond their CD cover before.

He started noticing things moving around the kitchen while he was in it. Little things, like the spoon being set back in the rest after he definitely had left it on the counter, or the cap going back on the milk before he could do it himself.

It wasn’t a threatening feeling, instead a very helpful, very eager one. To be honest, it made Ray feel happy. He thought, a couple times early on, that it might be his wife. Just a little hope that she was still there, still helping his scatter brained tendencies along.

And then he finally did some research.

And the boys in Julie’s band were definitely not just inspired by Sunset Curve.

They _were_ Sunset Curve.

It took him a while to wrap his mind around. Surely, she had just picked images of the guys to use for the holograms. But the way she spoke of them as if they were real, and how real they all acted and moved, broke that idea nearly immediately.

Carlos had been obsessed with ghosts the last few weeks. Ray hadn’t thought anything of it, until his kitchen adventures. Even then, he’d kept quiet about it. Just let it happen. Even now, knowing for certain it wasn’t his wife…

Look, Ray was a logical man. Always had been. But there was a side of him that wanted to believe, wanted to believe _so_ badly, because if these boys really were them, really were…ghosts? It meant that his wife might still be around, watching. And that comforted him.

The morning after Julie’s performance at The Orpheus, Ray got up early to make celebratory pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He’d heard her and Carlos talking quietly last night, heard them mention the names of the guys in the band. He already knew them, of course – like he said, he’d done research on their accident and tragic death after he started questioning the band Julie was performing with.

They were kids. Julie’s age.

So when he turned from the fridge in time to watch his spatula gently settle back down on the rest from where he’d left it purposefully on the counter, he bit the bullet. “Which one are you?” he asked, soft, resting his gaze around where someone standing by the stove would be.

No motion, dead silence. Ray swallowed, feeling a little stupid. “Luke? Reginald? Or Alex?”

More silence, and Ray slumped a little, walking back over to the stove and picking up the spatula to poke at the eggs he had frying. “I just wanted to thank you,” he said after a moment, still sensing that slight tingle in the back of his neck that he’d grown used to in the kitchen. “For opening her back up. I was…I was so scared I’d never hear her again, you know? After her mom, I…”

He took a breath, gripping the spatula a little tighter. The feeling moved, to his left, and Ray shut his eyes. “I was scared I’d lose her. And I would have done anything to get her back. So you boys showing up, somehow, I-I still don’t understand, and I don’t even…” he swallowed, choking on the emotion that had built. “I don’t know how you’re here, o-or even if you actually are. Maybe I’m just crazy. But thank you. So much. You don’t know what it means to me to hear her sing again.”

The feeling in his neck vanished and Ray opened his eyes, turning his back to the stove and perusing the room, feeling a little out of his element. Motion to his right made him turn, and his breath hitched.

He had one of those magnetic grocery lists on the fridge, so that he could jot down the food he needed as he ran out. Now, he watched the pen ease itself from the holder. Watched the whole damn list lift off of the door and move to the counter, a flat surface. His breath caught as the pen scribbled across the surface, and then very hesitantly settled down on the counter without a sound.

He took a second, staring at it, and then pushed away from the stove, making his way across the room with caution, eyes flickering to the empty space next to the list. When he reached it, there were three words scrawled on the page.

_Reggie. You’re welcome._

Ray let out a huff of disbelieving laughter and put a hand over his mouth. “How long have you been here?” he asked, stepping aside a little warily.

The pen lifted again, hesitant, and Ray gave a weak smile. Followed the scratches as they were etched onto the page. _Almost a month._

“And you’re…you’re always in my kitchen?” he couldn’t help but ask.

He could almost feel the tone of the pen shift, from anxious to laughing. _You’re fun to hang with. Even if you can’t see me._

Ray found himself smiling.

~~

When Julie and Carlos clambered down the stairs to the smell of pancakes, they found their father chuckling and shaking his head. They paused in the doorway, silent, and Julie glanced over at Reggie, whose smile was like the embodiment of the sun. He was leaning on the chair back next to Ray as he set pancakes down in the center of the table.

She saw it at the same time that Carlos elbowed her in the side – the notepad and pen dangling from Reggie’s fingers. “Dad?” she managed.

Her father and Reggie both looked up, eyes twinkling, and Reggie’s smile widened. Shockingly, he didn’t say anything, just glanced over at her father. “Morning, kids.”

Julie and Carlos looked at one another, then back at their father. Carlos’ eyes flickered to the floating notepad and Julie’s eyes to Reggie’s. She was sure her whole face was a question mark. “Um…what’s going on?”

“Pancake breakfast. I burnt the eggs though,” Ray said with a tisk, frowning back at the trashcan.

Reggie winced and lifted the hand with the pen in the air. “Yeah, that was my bad,” he snorted.

Ray’s eyes shifted to the pen and he snorted. “Blame Reggie.”

Julie’s breath caught in her chest. “You know?”

“I’m not dumb, honey,” Ray said, crossing the room and settling his hands on her shoulders. “I was a kid in the 90s hon, I’ve heard of Sunset Curve.”

“He knows some of our songs! I knew he was a cool dad,” Reggie squealed, and Julie couldn’t help but smile a little. She glanced back at her father as he sighed and squeezed her shoulder.

“Look, I…I don’t know how these boys got here, and I don’t know how you can see them, or how you can make them visible-” At Julie’s look, his lips twitched and he nodded back to Reggie. “Reggie explained some things. But they helped you get your sound back, and I could never be mad at that. Even if it is a little…unusual.”

Julie swallowed and tucked herself against her father’s chest, hugging him tightly. “I wanted to tell you,” she mumbled into his shirt. “But I was scared you’d think I needed to go back to therapy.”

He hummed and rubbed her back, and Julie could hear Carlos pushing past them to go talk to Reggie, and probably steal a few pancakes. “I know sweetie. I’m sorry.”

He kissed her on the head and then pulled back, twisting to point a finger at Carlos. “But not a _word_ to your Tia, you two. She’d have a heart attack.”

Carlos started snickering and Julie couldn’t stop her own grin. Ray kept a hand on her shoulder and looked over to where Reggie was. “Can you guys eat? Or is that not a thing?”

“They can’t eat,” Julie answered, as Reggie tilted his head towards her. “Much to Reggie’s annoyance.”

Reggie snorted, and Ray tilted his head. “Regardless, um…the three of you are welcome to join us for meals. If it wouldn’t be too upsetting to not eat.”

“Oh don’t worry, we’ve been joining you for most of them,” Reggie said, a smirk on his lips. Julie rolled her eyes and translated for her father, and Ray’s smile grew a little larger.

“In that case, you’re welcome to go get the guys. Breakfast is ready.”

Reggie’s smile grew into something softer and he set the pen and paper down, poofing out of existence. Julie turned back to her father, a lump in her throat. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He hugged her again, shutting his eyes. “Of course, love.”

“Reggie loves you, you know that?” she snorted against his chest. “Like he loves hanging out in here. I think you remind him of his dad.”

Rays grip tightened just a little, and his voice cracked at the beginning of his next sentence. “Oh. Oh, um…that’s…very kind.”

The guys popped back into existence, Luke and Alex looking a little panicked as Reggie scooped up the notepad and pen again with ease, his smile still 100 watts. Julie tugged away from her father and grinned. “The other guys are here. Breakfast?”

She gestured at the chairs and Reggie pulled his out eagerly. When Ray didn’t react, Luke and Alex slowly pulled out their own chairs. “I thought he was screwing with us,” Luke admitted as he sat down, eyes locked on Julie’s father, who was watching the empty seats thoughtfully.

“Not screwing with you,” Reggie said, sticking his tongue out and scribbling out a note that he handed over to Carlos. “He’s chill now.”

“He is very chill,” Julie declared, pressing up on her toes to kiss her father on his cheek and then running to sit down next to Alex.

Ray just watched for a moment. Watched his daughter smile, his son laugh at something Reggie had written down.

They weren’t his wife. And that made him a little sad. But they were good kids, and they’d gotten Julie her heart back. Plus, he liked having a ghostly helper in the kitchen. Especially if he could also make the kid feel better about losing his family.

Ray was a logical man, sure. But somehow, the ghosts seemed to fit right into that.

**Author's Note:**

> The works in this series are not all going to be ordered together. Most of them will be standalone one-shots, and I'll let you know in the notes if they aren't. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Anyone else had the soundtrack on a loop the last few days?


End file.
